Free Rice

Every week in staff meeting I begin with “Staff Share Time” (cheesy, I know) in which I ask a question that each of my girls has to answer … questions like your number one pet peeve, the first thing you ever wanted to be when you grew up, your closest celebrity encounter, etc.  Last week I had the girls share their favorite website (other than Facebook), and the answers varied from imdb.com to theknot.com (got an engaged one) to the UCO website.  I used this particular staff meeting to promote my new favorite website – freerice.com.  I am incredibly impressed when people come up with creative ways to give.  Soliciting for donations only goes so far, but if you can come up with a product (forthcoming blog on buyshoessavelives.com) or idea that people latch on to that somehow generates profit that in turn goes toward a good cause, that to me is remarkable.  Free rice works as a vocabulary quiz site that donates 20 grains of rice through the United Nations World Food Program for every word guessed correctly.  So, if you have a five minute break at work (or need one from studying), you can spend/waste that time in a productive way by contributing to the needs of the hungry while building your vocabulary.  And, I must say, I’m excited to see that my pop culture exposure has enhanced my vocabulary.  I knew cerulean from a Gilmore Girls episode and watershed from an Indigo Girls song.  Oh, and capacious!  While not a pop culture reference, I did know this word because of an SAT vocab book I think my dad got me awhile back.  It uses silly phrases and pictures to aid in memory, and for capacious there was a picture of a boy wearing a baseball cap probably ten times the size of his head with the phrase underneath “This cap is too spacious.”  It sure came in handy when I was able to guess that capacious meant roomy.  Seriously, check it out … I wanna know everyone’s best vocab level!

The Innocent Man at UCO

Earlier in the year my attendance was required at an on campus conference for everyone under the umbrella of Administration and Finance, of which Housing had recently become a part.  One of the main objectives of the conference (other than “inspiring” us via “ispirational” speakers) was to have us intermingle with the various departments on campus, as was evidenced by our assigned seating at tables with complete strangers.  During one particularly cheesy inspirational speech, we were told to go around our table and share an experience that had greatly impacted our lives.  My cynicism soon turned to pure fascination as one of the ladies at my table volunteered her story.  It turned out that back in the 80s her brother had been wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife.  Greg Wilhoit was sentenced to death, and lived on death row five years before his appeal was heard and conviction overturned.  The death penalty had always fascinated me, and I was shocked to meet someone so deeply affected by it.  My curiousity prompted a long discussion between the two of us later that day, and Nancy even gave me a DVD with the 20 20 and American Justice news stories about her brother.  John Grisham’s non-fiction book, “The Innocent Man, Murder and Injustice in a Small Town,” chronicles the conviction and near execution of Ron Williamson, another Oklahoma man wrongly convicted.  Ron’s cell happened to be just accross from Greg’s, whose story also finds a place in Grisham’s book. 

The death penalty concerns me for many reasons, the possible execution of innocent people being one of them.  Add to that the astronomical cost of death penalty litigation and the fact that minority convicts are more likely to get the death penalty than whites, and my concern grows.  And then there’s the question of whether or not it even deters crime.  Even if the state has legitimate authority to put a person to death, should it?  I know I’m a little Derek Webb obsessed, but there’s another quote that fits.  “How can I kill the ones I’m supposed to love?  My enemies are men like me.  I will protest the sword if it’s not weilded well.  My enemies are men like me.  Peace by way of war is like purity by way of fornication.  It’s like telling someone murder is wrong and then showing them by way of execution.”

Last week I was thrilled to notice a blurb in Centralities (the daily UCO faculty/staff campus news email) about Greg Wilhoit speaking at UCO tomorrow night.  Sadly, I’m already in Texas for Thanksgiving, but I thought I’d pass along the info for anyone else interested.  Seriously, someone needs to go and tell me all about it!  From Centralities:

‘The Innocent Man’ Greg Wilhoit Visits Campus, Nov. 20

The College of Liberal Arts Speaker’s Series welcomes “The Innocent Man” Greg Wilhoit for a lecture on his five-year death row experience and life after exoneration at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20, in Pegasus Theater, Liberal Arts. Wilhoit was the first person in Oklahoma to be exonerated from death row.

Wilhoit’s story was told in last year’s novel “The Innocent Man” by John Grisham. For more information, visit http://www.libarts.ucok.edu/speakers.htm .

Someday when I’m a professor …

I recently discovered a rather obscure television channel airing Designing Women reruns each day at 6:00 and 6:30.  While I haven’t had much time to watch TV lately, over the past week or so I’ve caught a few episodes, much to my delight.  I have such great memories of watching the show with my mom and quoting its best lines with my friend Tracy.  (“And that, Marjorie, just so you will know, and your children will someday know, is the night, the lights, went out, in GEORGIA!”)  For some reason, DW has not been released in entire season DVD sets.  Alf, they think we need on DVD, but not Designing Women.  So, episodes in syndication are a special treat for me, because I can’t watch them any time I want.

Tonight aired one of my very favorite episodes called “How Great Thou Art.”  One of the things I love best about the show is its propensity for addressing social issues such as world hunger, AIDS, and in this particular episode, women in ministry.  One of the characters, Charlene, comes to find out through her attendence of a multi-denominational church conference that her Southern Baptist minister had some pretty strong views about the role of women within the church.  She invites him over for dinner with her coworkers as well as Bernice, an elderly friend with a self proclaimed “arterial flow problem.”  The after dinner conversation begins as a battle of the proof-texts between Reverand Nunn and Bernice, who learned much of her theology from her minister father.  However, Bernice soon brings up issues of historical context and problems within the KJV translation concerning women.  The last time I saw this episode I thought to myself, “Someday, when I am a professor, I will use this clip to spark conversation amongst my students.” 

Now while I by no means have all my beliefs worked out concerning the role of women within the church, I do think some things like Sheri Klouda’s departure from Southwestern Seminary are just ridiculous, and heartbreaking for that matter.  In seeking grad school/seminary advice from my college professors, a resounding encouragement I get is to seek out schools that support women in their educational pursuits as well as future career goals.  My desire is to let Scripture — throroughly studied and hermeneutically applied — speak and not tradition, modern day culture, or my own personal preference.  Quite a task there.

So obviously, blogging has been on the back burner for awhile.  Preparing for Saturdate took a lot of my time and energy, but now that it’s over I want to return to my love of blogs!  Too bad RA training begins tomorrow, and along with it the craziest month of the year for me.  I’ll just have to make the time … I have thoughts … and I want to share.  I started a blog the other night, but it started to get crazy long, so I’ve decided to break it up and make a series.  So get ready there, my friends.  Soon comes Sarah’s series entitled, “The Kingdom of God.”

03.22.07

I just submitted my first letter to the editor.  I’m usually somewhat uninformed, and I wouldn’t exactly call myself an involved citizen, but occasionally I do get a little impassioned about certain things and tonight happened to be one of those occasions.

In my low tech world, I still use my VCR to record shows if I’m going to be gone.  Having recently lost my VCR remote, tonight I had to manually record LOST.  I caught the beginning of the ten o’clock news immediately following, and I happened to watch the lead story about a three year old who drowned in the bathtub.  Eyewitness News 5 was “on the scene” to report the story … lots of close ups on the somewhat trashed out front porch and such.  I was a little put off by this, but didn’t think much of it until I heard the reporter say, “We were there as police delivered the devastating news to his dad minutes later …”  Then they actually SHOW the police telling the father that his son has just died in a horrific accident.  The father is screaming out in disbelief, and I am sitting in my living room in disbelief that they would choose to air such a personal, and what should have been private, moment.  I called the news station first, wondering if anyone else had called to complain.  However, the girl I spoke to didn’t know anything because her shift had just started.  I then called my dad, a newspaper reporter, to make sure I wasn’t overreacting.  He too felt the coverage to be invasive and in poor taste.  So then I wrote my letter.  We’ll see if it makes it in.

In other news, my momentous days were pretty great … lots of blogworthiness, but maybe not just yet.  No internet for a few days … perhaps I’ll get a lot accomplished without it.

20 Questions for 2006

A friend passed this on to me as a great way to reflect on the past year, so I thought I’d share.

What was the best CD you got? (purchased or burned)

Hmm … probably the most difficult question on here!  I have really grown to love The Flaming Lips this year, so perhaps At War with the Mystics.  Although not my favorite upon first listen, I have grown to really appreciate Jill Phillips’ Nobody’s Got It All Together as well. 

 

What was the best book you read?

For Christmas I got my dad a book called 501 Must Read Books and after flipping through it, I am completely and utterly ashamed of my lack of reading.  I want to be a reader!  I started Anna Karenina this summer, but had to turn it back into the library before I finished it.  The best book that I read from start to finish within the past year would have to be Don Miller’s Blue Like Jazz.

 

What was the best movie you saw at the theater?

I’m cheap when it comes to movies, so I hardly ever go.  I check out movies from the library or from Randy’s on Thursdays.  I’m trying to even remember movies I saw in the theater … none worth mentioning.

 

Favorite quote you heard in 2006:

I might have heard this in late 2005, but “There are two great lies that I’ve heard:  ‘The day you eat of the fruit of that tree, you will not surely die.’ And that Jesus Christ was a white middle-class Republican, and if you wanna be saved you have to learn to be like Him.”  Derek Webb, from “A King & A Kingdom”

 

Friends you made this year?

Ben, Michelle, a few more church friends, new RAs, new boss, new residents

 

Friends you lost this year?

Hmm … I can really only think of two: Katrina and Robin.  Why does everyone have to graduate and get married?  These were two of my RA girlies I’d had from the beginning, and I shed a tear or two when they left.

 

Something you learned about yourself:

Haha.  Read this.

 

Favorite summer memory:

Taking Jayme to The Fray … her first concert ever.

 

Favorite Spring memory:

Watching Jayme catch Tony Parker’s shoe at the Spurs game we were at over spring break.

 

Favorite holiday memory:

Hmm … throwing up Christmas day?  No, it would have to be the vast amount of quality time spent with my family.

 

TV show you watched the most:

It would have to be a toss up between Gilmore Girls and LOST.  I never miss an episode of GG, and I usually put on old seasons while I’m cleaning my apartment or doing laundry.  However, over the course of 2006, I watched the first two full seasons of LOST as well as the six episode opener of season 3.

 

Something you learned about God:

To quote Jill Phillips, “But You’re always right on time.”  Seriously, I have never been surer of His perfect timing than over the course of the past year. 

 

Coolest clothing item you purchased:

Well, I did buy a pair of Ralph Lauren jeans for $5 at a thrift store in Abilene over the summer.  Although I just bought this last week, (technically not 2006) I did see it this past fall and really, really wanted it: 

Best toy, electronic device, etc you got this year:

Um, no question there.  My iPod, hands down.  (Actually, I think I got it at the end of last year, but it still reigns as best toy.)

 

What news event stuck out to you most this year?

Like reading, I have a similar guilt about not keeping up with current events.  However, I would have to say that the event that most impacted me the most this year was the murder of Jamie Bolin.  It felt like something from a movie.  I actually read a little of her murderer’s blog which made it even more bizarre.

 

What song would be your theme song for 2006?

Jill Phillips – “Daily Bread”  She sang it for me at her concert!

 

What books of the Bible (if any) did you read this year?

I read through the New Testament through the lens of prayer this year, noting every verse in which it’s mentioned, doing my best to gain a fresh perspective untainted by what I or anyone else had previously conceived.

 

Anything you wished you did this year?

Saved more money, managed time better … little things that make a huge difference. 

 

Biggest change in your life this year:

Well, that would probably be dating someone.  A close second would be Body for Life.  Yay for becoming healthy!  Oh, and I learned how to knit.

 

What are the big plans for 2007?

More Body for Life, running a HALF MARATHON come April, a possible NYC trip with Jayme this summer, hopefully lots of concerts and … grad school/seminary in the fall?  I also want to continue studying prayer … going back over my notes from the past year, reading some books and most importantly, praying. 

04.27.06

Last night while working the front desk for one of my RAs I watched “Capote.”  All I really knew about the movie was that it was about the true crime novel “In Cold Blood” and that Phillip Seymour Hoffman won Best Actor for his performance playing Truman Capote.  Plenty to warrant a 99-cent rental from 7-11.  The movie begins with Hoffman’s chilling voiceover, “On the night of November 14th, two men broke into a quiet farmhouse in Kansas and murdered an entire family.”  The movie chronicles Capote’s life as he chronicles the lives of these two men.  Truman grows close to one of the men in particular, Perry Smith, who proves to be a goldmine of information for Truman’s book.  A tension runs through their relationship as Truman is obviously using Perry for his own glory.  The movie portrays Truman Capote as particularly insecure, drunk off the praises of others, and extremely jealous.  At the film premiere of his good friend Nelle Harper Lee’s new book “To Kill a Mockingbird” (How cool is that?  Who knew they were friends?) Truman cannot even muster one word of encouragement or excitement for his dear friend, but somehow manages to turn the conversation back to himself.  His almost nonexistant caring side is best seen in his relationship with Perry.  He has a real connection with the man and at one point tells Nelle, “It’s as if Perry and I grew up in the same house. And one day he went out the back door and I went out the front.”

All of this, and that quote in particular, made me think about the recent murder of a young girl here in Oklahoma.  What finally ignites within a person that they would choose to murder someone?  Obviously there are murders for money, over jealousy, out of rage or insanity, but that’s not exactly what I’m thinking about.  How does a seemingly normal person go from normal to taking pleasure in the thought of killing another person they don’t even know?

In my Intro to Ministry class at OBU, I remember Dr. Kelly saying something about rejecting the “T” in Calvin’s TULIP.  He didn’t see humanity as totally depraved, but wondered how much of the image of God we held onto after the fall.  I think it’s a shame when people are written off as pure evil, as if they were somehow beyond redemption.  Kevin Ray Underwood hit a ten year old girl in the head with a cutting board, smothered her, sexually molested her corpse, and tried to cut off her head.  At first when I heard of this tragedy, I was outraged.  What a sicko.  I read as much as I could about the case.  (If you’re interested, the best article I’ve read is at http://newsok.com/article/1823737/ .)  And then I read Underwood’s blog.  I’m not sure what I expected to read, but I was surprised.  I guess I thought that he would sound crazy.  But he sounded intelligent.  Obviously he had issues to deal with, but I wasn’t able to write him off as I had been so eager to do previously.  In one entry he writes:

The best explanation for why I am the way I am. From an unquoted source.

“It is not difficult to understand how children who have suffered from malnutrition or starvation need food and plenty of care if their bodies are to recover so they can go on to lead normal lives. If, however, the starvation is severe enough, the damage will be permanent and they will suffer physical impairments for the rest of their lives. Likewise, children who are deprived of emotional nurturing require care and love if their sense of security and self-confidence is to be restored. However, if love is minimal, and abuse high, the damage will be permanent and the children will suffer emotional impairments for the rest of their lives.”

Hear me, I am in no way making excuses for what he did.  It was awful.  Just awful.  However, I don’t think it’s as simple as saying that Kevin Ray Underwood is an evil man.  In his book “Searching for God Knows What” Donald Miller writes something that echoes my own heart as I attempt to make sense of this crime. “I happened to see Larry King interview Billy Graham shortly after the shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado.  I had read an article the previous month about violent video games and their effects on the minds of children, desensitizing them to the act of killing.  Larry King asked Billy Graham what was wrong with the world, and how such a thing as Columbine could happen.  I knew, because Billy Graham was an educated man, he had read the same article I had read, and I began calculating an answer for him, that violence begets violence, that we live in a culture desensitized to the beauty of human life and the sanctity of creation.  But Billy Graham did not blame video games.  Billy Graham looked Larry King in the eye and said, ‘Thousands of years ago, a young couple in love lived in a garden called Eden, and God placed a tree in the Garden and told them not to eat from the tree…’ And I knew in my soul he was right.”

So I will pray for Jamie Bolin’s family.  But I will also pray for Kevin Ray Underwood.  Lord God, have mercy on us.

02.01.06

I watched the State of the Union Address last night.  I don’t think I’ve ever sat down to watch the whole speech before … in the past I’m sure I was annoyed that it was bumping whatever show I wanted to watch at the time.  Tonight, however, I actually looked forward to hearing about the “state of the union” (thanks to a certain West Wing episode).

I definitely wouldn’t call myself a very political person.  Sure, there are issues I feel fairly strongly about, but I didn’t grow up with an ingrained political affiliation … something I am very grateful for.  My mom grew up Republican, my dad grew up Democrat, and I grew up hearing and seeing both sides of the issues.  I have never been told what to think but rather have been invited to the dialogue.

I have two pet peeves when it comes to politics.  One is blind acceptance, and the other is pessimistic dismissal.  I think it’s foolish to accept words and policies as gospel based solely on the fact that a political figure may share your same religious beliefs.  I also think it’s ridiculous to write off those same words and policies based on the fact that a political figure does not share your same religious beliefs.  It seems to me that many people are so emotionally invested in politics that they fail to truly seek discernment. 

So I’ll end this with a few quotes concerning these pet peeves of mine … one from last night’s address and a couple from a wise artist I’ve loved for years:

“Along the way, we have benefited from responsible criticism and counsel offered by members of Congress of both parties. In the coming year, I will continue to reach out and seek your good advice. Yet, there is a difference between responsible criticism that aims for success, and defeatism that refuses to acknowledge anything but failure.  Hindsight alone is not wisdom, and second-guessing is not a strategy.”  President Bush on US involvement in Iraq“Don’t teach me about politics and government; just tell me who to vote for … I don’t wanna know if the answers aren’t easy, so just bring it down from the mountain to me.  I want a new law.”  Derek Webb from “A New Law”“There are two great lies that I’ve heard: ‘The day you eat of the fruit of that tree, you will not surely die’ and that Jesus Christ was a white middle class republican, and if you wanna be saved you have to learn to be like Him.  My first allegiance is not to a flag, a country, or a man.  My first allegiance is not to democracy or blood.  It’s to a King and a kingdom.”  Derek Webb from “A King and a Kingdom”